Perfect Pairing with Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde has been in the spotlight recently and I see why. It's a great buy and perfect to enjoy during the hot summer months. As NY Times describes it "cheap and cheerful", I went on the hunt to find a great Vinho Verde and a nice dinner pairing.

Vinho Verde has a crisp, refreshing character and some even have those green notes similar to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (another favorite warm weather wine). Gaining a lot of popularity in the American market, Vinho Verdes are a fantastic buy ranging in prices from only $4 to around $12. Up there with rosé, this is becoming a go-to patio wine for the remainder of this super hot, muggy DC summer.




I came across this Portuguese Vinho Verde at only $8.99 (!) and paired it with cedar plank salmon and asparagus. Casa de Vila Verde is a single estate wine in the sub region of Sousa described as dry and fresh with citric fruit acid and a crisp finish. Talk about a great summer dish and wine; easy, palate pleasing and budget-friendly.

Cedar Plank Salmon is by far one of the easiest ways to prepare fresh salmon. All you need is cedar planks, salt, pepper and some lemon juice. Place the filets on the planks on the upper rack in a heated grill for 12-15 minutes. Use the rest of the lemon on the asparagus and roast in the oven until tender. Dinner is ready in about 20 minutes!

This dry, minerally wine is a great compliment to the flaky tender salmon. The crisp finish cleanses the palate after every bite, with the desire to take another forkful and sip. and repeat

Have yet to experience Vinho Verde? Find a bottle at your local wine shop, enjoy it with food or on its own. You will not be disappointed, nor will your wallet!

Cheers!

Sushi, Sparkling, Tartare, Oh My!

Birthdays are always a great time to celebrate your favorite things. Hey, it is your day!

It's no secret that sparkling wine is one of my favorite things and sushi is my favorite food. The Source by Wolfgang Puck has the perfect "date night deal" on Friday and Saturday nights; Sushi and Sparkling! They feature sushi rolls and a glass of sparkling for $20.13 per person, not a bad deal. They have a great sushi selection as well as a few different sparkling wines by the glass. We went with the Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé from Alsace, one of my favorite sparkling wines. Sushi and sparkling wine are an ultimate pairing; the bubbles help cleanse the palate after every bite and the crunchy vegetables inside the roll are a great accompaniment to that effervescence.

The Source is a sleek, modern Japanese restaurant and is the first fine dining restaurant by Wolfgang Puck in DC. Currently led under the direction of Chef Scott Drewno, this restaurant has won numerous awards over the years including Washingtonian's Top 100 Restaurants and 3 Rammy awards!

Highly recommend the Sushi and Sparkling menu at The Source for your next date night.

From there, we visited Fiola by Fabio Trabocchi, only a block away, how convenient. Another modern, upscale restaurant, Fiola focuses on fresh ingredients for their ever-changing Italian menu. After hearing so many amazing things about Fiola, it's been on my list to visit for quite a while. What better evening to visit than for a celebratory dinner?!

We started with a bottle of wine, a Super Tuscan. Love Italian wine? This is the place to be. There were so many options!

After deliberating over the menu for a while, we ordered the bison tartare (first time eating tartare and loved it!) and the tortellini of baby lamb with seared fois gras. Everything was superb, delicate, service was fantastic, and the ambiance was ideal for our date night.


Obviously, I enjoyed my birthday evening. If you haven't visited, make plans to go, you're missing out!

Cheers!

A Weekend in Chicago

Chicago: the Windy City. Known for their hot dogs and deep dish pizza. I learned there are plenty more food options than those!

We visited for the first time over Memorial Day weekend and it was filled with wine, food and more wine! With numerous trendy restaurants popping up all over the city, it wasn't hard to find great food and wine pretty much any neighborhood you were in.

We started our long weekend at the Little Goat Diner, owned by the James Beard award winner Stephanie Izard. The eclectic menu was trendy, eye opening and a little bizarre.

I went with the "Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing" Ha! Kimchi, bacon, pancake and eggs, it was delish. The decor was stunning as well.





What does a Wino do when it's clear blue skies and celebrating with her sister-in-law? Veuve Clicquot on the roof of course!

On to dinner...Mexican food is one of my favorites, paired with a margarita of course! So, we visited Cantina Laredo, a modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Chicago. I'm a sucker for good enchiladas and they had barbacoa enchiladas! Delish.

A fantastic weekend brunch spot is Wishbone. Self described as "Southern Reconstruction Cooking", this place has the best cheesy grits and southern favorites that reminds me of being in Charleston, SC. I ordered the BBQ benedict which was biscuits, topped with BBQ and topped with eggs served with those cheesy grits of course. My husband and I split the crunchy french toast and I must say, that was the best french toast I've ever eaten! Everything was fantastic, just wish I wasn't hungover from the night before so I could have enjoyed their tasty mimosas.






Being the Wino that I am, I was searching for a great, local wine bar and my sister-in-law knew just the place. Lush Wine & Spirits, a neighborhood joint that's serious about their wine. Only one complaint, it was wayyy too bright in there for being a Saturday night at 10pm. BUT the food  was quite good. We ordered a glass of wine and some light fare, including popcorn popped in duckfat! Yep, you read that right. SO good. We also got the deviled eggs and who drinks wine without cheese?! They had a great wine selection on their retail side and a lot of lounge seating, perfect for a cozy evening with friends.

We also visited other restaurants including Butterfly Sushi and The Breakfast Club.

And it's not a trip to Chicago without visiting the famous art structure, Cloud Gate (aka the Bean)! Until next time Chicago....

Learning in the Vineyard: Bud Break

An advantage to working at a winery is learning more about the grape growing and winemaking process. What better way to spend a sunny, Spring afternoon than traveling around the vineyard with the 2 winemakers at Boxwood Winery?!

We stopped at rows for each of the 5 varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. I learned some characteristics about the buds/leaves as well.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the last to bud and the last to be harvested. 

Merlot leaves are said to have a "big tongue", a large, wide leaf  

Petit Verdot has a whitish film on the back of the leaves

Malbec has a very distinct, round leaf shape which helps to recognize this varietal.

Never Cook with a Wine You Wouldn't Drink!

One of the best wine rules to abide by.

Recipes often call for red or white wine. Sadly, some people have an opened bottle in their fridge for times like this. "This is my cooking wine" "I only use this for recipes"

Why is only the wine ingredient compromised like this?! You don't use spoiled milk!

I, for one, only purchase and store wine that I intend to drink but working in wine retail for years, I've definitely come across the request for cooking wine. Even for a small price point, you can find a well-made wine that will be great in the recipe as well as serve with the meal.

Put good ingredients in and you'll get a great finished product. True for many facets of life.

I came across a marinade for flank steak that called for a cup of red wine...To the wine fridge!

(you mean I have to open a bottle?! please, don't twist my arm!)

Flank steak, a tougher cut of meat that can stand up to quite the flavor, pairs perfectly with a bigger, bolder, tannic wine. I chose the 2010 Flying Fox Petite Verdot from Virginia. Flying Fox Vineyard is located in the Monticello AVA and produces both red and white wines from low yielding vines. I first tasted their wines earlier this year at the VA Wine Expo in Richmond. The deep, dark flavors of the 2010 Petite Verdot is a perfect pairing for the flank steak entree. One of their newest wines, the Petite Verdot sells on their website for $21 and I do recommend!

Cheers!

5 {Wine} Truths

Cyndi asked so I will tell. Here's 5 {wine} truths about me:

1. I always get asked my favorite wine. And that's a tough one...one single wine? I have favorite producers and favorite regions but if I had to pick one wine to drink for the rest of my life it would be J Vineyards Pinot Gris. A white that is so versatile and easy to drink. It pairs easily with food and just quenches my thirst. Plus the price point is great!

2. My favorite winery experience has to be Santo Wines in Greece. One of the biggest Greek producers in Santorini, the view cannot be paralleled. The wine was so-so but sitting on a cliffside, overlooking the Caldera...best experience to date. A winery experience doesn't have to be just about the wine!

3. I admit that I buy "special" bottles and save them for an occasion. It's against everything I ever tell people but I still am not able to open those bottles and so they sit....

4. I'm a sucker for Sauternes. Not a big sweet wine drinker but there's something about the elegance and sweetness of a Sauternes. You won't find me drinking a lot of this or a lot at one time but man does it pair well with some of my favorite bites/dishes. It's perfect pairing is anything salty, my preferred snacking choice.

5. I once ran a half marathon just because it was through wine country and had wine stops along the way. I almost died that day but hey, I crossed the finish line and got my drink on! (you will never see me run again)

Now it's your turn Christina, Hillary and Tanisha.

And the Nominees Are...

Every Spring the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington hosts restaurant awards called the Rammys. It's like the Emmy's to TV or the Oscars to the movie industry. Each year there are numerous parties held leading up to the big gala where the winners are announced. Well last night was the revealing party! Nominees in categories such as Best Restauranteur, Restaurant Employee of the Year, Best Bar Scene, and of course Best Wine Program were revealed at last night's party at The Hamilton. It's quite an honor to be nominated and even more so to win!

Obviously, I wanted to highlight the Best Wine Program nominees:

Ripple - It's no secret this is one of my favorite wine bars in the city. I've written about it many times and continue to love their program because of the diversity of their selection and knowledge of their staff. Most of their wine selection includes organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines. The list is ever-changing which keeps people coming back. Well deserved and Good Luck!

Adour at the St Regis - Classy, Classy, Classy. Yes, it deserves all uppercase C's! Always voted as a top restaurant in DC, Adour serves sophisticated food alongside their 6,500 bottles of wine! The wine list consist s of 700 different wines and is led by Wine Director, Brent Kroll. This collection holds wines from all over the world and even some locally ones like Boxwood!

Marcel's - Owned and operated by Robert Wiedmaier, who is widely known around DC. He also operates restaurants in Maryland and Virginia. The wine program at Marcel's is extensive. Focusing on mostly French wines to pair with Wiedmaier's French fare. The wine list is pages long and includes options like magnums and half bottles. This program is led by Sommelier Moez Ben Achour.

Ashby Inn - Located in the rural town of Paris, VA, Ashby Inn and Restaurant is known for their farm to table menu and extensive wine list. Focusing on local food and local wine, The Ashby sells 84 different Virginia labels including Linden, Barboursville and Boxwood. This wine program is led by Sommelier Neal Wavra.

Dino Restaurant and Enoteca - Dino is a rustic, Italian restaurant in NW DC. The wine list is not just a list, it's an education. The wine "book" is 39 pages long! It details everything about the wine selection, mostly Italian. Ideal for those novice wine drinkers or those who want to learn more about the selection. Don't let it scare you away though, Dean is great at answering your questions as well.